Friday, June 30, 2017

High Desert Frameworks in Bend Oregon Just released the pictures of the Postcards accepted to be framed for the silent auction. If you follow this link you can see all of the postcards honored. All proceeds of the silent auction go to Wish Upon a Card charity that helps raise scholarships for Sisters High School students.

I love what they did with my postcard. It was the first year I was included in the framed cards silent auction ... what an honor.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

It's time for our walk together. Today was the last minus tide for a while - so even though it was grey we had to get down there. It was great! So I'm sharing it with you! I forgot to tell you that we walked the Pacific Coast Trail last week. And there was something left on the viewing bench!

Too cute - I can picture my GKs leaving this reminder!

On with today's walk. This is our objective! And there is 30 more minutes to low tide and look at the wide open beach!

The path starts at Building A by the highway. It's a nice gentle slope, but I often share the path with rabbits; ground squirrels, and Eeeek! snakes!

Now we cross the maintenance road. Our trail is named for a resident here that started it, maintains it beyond belief! Ross is over 80 yrs old. Last year he broke his leg on this trail. This year he was already back to hauling rock by hand along to trail to ease our way!! Never underestimate someone on a mission! Thanks Ross!

Don't mind that sign - it's just for the tourists!! On we go!

We're just starting - love this view of the condos. We live in the building on the far left, 2nd floor! Wave!

Now we start meandering down to sea-level! Through the forest.

There are clumps of tall grass to mark the turn. Now it starts getting a little trickier... by the end it's pretty much a goat trail!

Flowers love it here. The side of the hill gets plenty of moisture and it faces south! What's better than that!

Hold on to your hats - it gets steep around this turn!

Purple grass? I don't think we're in Kansas any more, Toto!

I'm happy to report that our beach is now full of sand. It was all rock not that long ago. And these algea wash up. I love to step on them and pop them! It's the ocean's bubble wrap!! I only pick on the little ones, honest!

Ooooo, shiny rocks!

Nature does it's own sand painting around here!

Never mind the local residents! It's nice to see them back.

And looky here! Sea Stars! Talk about 'nice to see them back'! A couple of years ago there was a blight and a large die-off. It really affected how many birds we saw and it emptied the tide pools. Now we look with that wonder again!

Why, hello, Mr Crab! Hiding much???

We ran out of sand at the next headland. No walking into Harris Beach Park this time. Hopefully the sand will come back even more. Turn back and head for home. This is my favorite view of home! The view is good both ways!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

We went up to Portland for Father's Day weekend. Movies were seen and doll clothes were made. Yummy food was devoured and there was a lot of talking!
A great time was had by all!

We came home Monday and by Tuesday is was time to head for the valley. Miss E was likely on her way! We got over there just as they were leaving for the hospital. Miss E was born early evening that night. Welcome to the world, little one!

Two excited big brothers meeting sister for the first time!

Beach Nana and Papa with the grandkids. This was one of many takes ... the only one with everyone looking the same way and smiling!!! :)

We came home Thursday night after entertaining the boys, cooking and shopping for the proud parents. It was 101 in Brookings on Thursday! I'm talking temperature not Hwy number!! What a surprise. Glad we missed it - it was 87 in the valley, and that was hot enough for me! But Friday coastal weather was back to usual - in 70s. Water aerobics in the outdoor pool was heavenly!!

I have caught up on wash and hope to get some quilting in this weekend ... we'll see ... book club is reading Inferno by Dan Brown and it's getting exciting!

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Rainy here and I'm having trouble getting started today. Yesterday I worked on my "Mod Squad" homework. You may remember, I met Deborah Boschert last fall in Houston. I loved her work and bought her book "Art Quilt Collage".

I've been quilting for over 40 years! And just lately, I have been fascinated by the Modern Movement. "You've come a long way, baby" is a good description!! No interest for me at the beginning, but it's grown into something that's got my interest now!

So I organized "Mod Squad". I talked some quilting friends, and their friends (10 of us) into working our way thru the book's design guides. It's a discussion group - because we're all working out of our boxes! No official leader. [Occupy Sewing Room group??] Each month (at the fabric store classroom) one of us presents the "design of the month assignment". We all go home and make a 15" square using that design. We decided on 15" because it's little enough to be fast, big enough to show our idea!! The squares are ok unfinished, because we have no idea what we will end up with. Pot holders? a quilt? Part of another quilt?

We 'sneak' them into the store in a brown paper bag before the next meeting and the owner hangs them in the classroom so they are 'anonymous'. We gently critique them round table style. Then we each guess who made what! Then we reveal who made them. Some of us have our own distinctive style, we're easy to guess. But we have a few who are universal!! Some pieces have 5 different names guessed!

I'm easy to guess. Even when I think I've been clever - yep, they got me! So this month I just gave up and used fabrics I'm known for. They're going to guess me anyway! With a trip to Portland and a new grandbaby coming - why not just do something that pleases me this month!!

It's been great fun and boy, are we learning a lot! You can see the growth each month. So far we did Line; Landscape: Grid and this month is Thirds (with personal symbol thrown in!) I'm from Nebraska (through and through!) and the thought of a personal symbol boggles the mind! I changed "personal symbol" to "favorite things" and it's easier to come up with 'themes'. I love-love-love houses! I've finished several house quilts over the years, and have a few house UFOs as we speak. So that would have been an easy one - but there are others I've developed that aren't so well known. So I picked another favorite and expect not to fool anyone at all!

There are times that it's just another obstacle in front of deadline work (before the show we were all a little stressed) ... but basically, we're all growing into it. Each month I get "I may not get the block done this month excuse from one or more..." but usually, they come thru! It will be interesting to see how much we're learning is 'incorporated into our box' at the end.

DH is off golfing this weekend and I'm still working on my "To Do Later List". That list got started when prepping for the Annual Quilt Show got overwhelming. Just told myself, I'll do that later.

Well, it's simply amazing how fast "later" zooms up. Now that list is "it's later than you think -- get-r dun now" list!

I made a frankenbatt for the new baby quilt and I'm not happy with it! I just don't quilt (DSM, walking foot) close enough to feel secure that it will stand up to baby usage!! So I'll run a few more lines (Forget the design factor!) up the overlaps. My kids tend to run their quilts into the ground!!! I like to see them used, but it does imply a obligation to get them to last longer! It's bound and ready for the wash after I add that quilting. A Finished UFO! But no time to celebrate!

Off to the next two projects. Wool checkerboard lap quilt out of DBIL's brother's Pendleton shirts! Since there is a family wedding back in NE this July - would like to send the couple's Christmas stockings and this memorial quilt in the same box. Yep, it's 'later' NOW!

And then .... there's 2 million projects (?) in my mind, on Pinterest, stacked in the sewing room, promised to people, fabric bought for, started but currently in 'time out' waiting for me!

Sunday, June 4, 2017

I am now discovering life "after the Quilt Show"! I'm still finishing up on the QOV paperwork. I don't trust my mind to remember what to do next year!! I'm still so very glad we did a presentation. Oh my, it was so moving. We presented 17 veterans with quilts to standing room only space. By default, I was the host at the program.

Now, I'm the first to admit I don't have much problem talking!! LOL! But that is usually to friends and fellow quilters. I can talk about quilts for hours - paid or unpaid!! But this was different. I was talking to veterans and I know I am not worthy. They have gone through so much, for our benefit. I didn't want to offend, or make them feel uncomfortable. I was so nervous, even before, writing the speech, figuring out the logistics and after seeing the crowd, I panicked!

Too late to quit now! Breathe ... So I simply kept my eyes on the veterans in the first row and talked to them! It worked! I teared up a few times, (I wasn't the only one) but I didn't break down. The veterans were awesome, loved their quilt and even loved their hug! Really loved their hug - I'm positive I got another hug from each of them as they left. The support around them was spectacular. We already have SEVEN nominations for next year! And more quilters pledging to join the QOV portion of our guild!

What can I say - my mother raised me right. Okay, I don't always follow my training ... BUT I did after this. I wrote an article for the newspaper, (they printed it!) I wrote thank yous to the Veterans' Groups, and the Honor Guard.

I also sent a thank you with a picture of the group with their quilts to our QOV Long Armers (machine quilters). I told them thank you and how glad we were for their part of QOV. We worked with seven quilters - and not a one of them had EVER been thanked with a picture of 'their' veterans with the quilts! Really? They do half the work!! Note to self - always do that!

But I'd been putting off things until "later" and LATER has arrived with a vengeance! This weekend I'm working on my new granddaughter's quilt. She is expected to be born June 21st! Nothing like waiting until the 'next to last' moment! The top had been done and waiting - so just machine quilting and binding it this weekend. LOL! And I'm afraid that's just the 'tip of the iceberg' on the "Later" list! I told you the most urgent ones last post! More have popped up!

It's a beautiful weekend, but breezy. The rain has finally stopped, the ocean is blue, just enough of the breeze wafts through the condo. The best place to be is sitting by the sliding glass door, quilting away!! So I must get back to that!